Opposite Day with Kate Beckett and Richard Castle
by blueaeryn1
Summary: Richard Castle and Kate Beckett have found their way to each other and Castle has decided he will handle this relationship much different then his previous ones.
1. Chapter 1

Richard Castle had adopted a new philosophy as of late. It seemed that last few months were opposite day for the famous mystery writer, well when it came to NYPD Detective Kate Beckett at least.

He just knew he didn't want to screw this up, it meant too much. After almost four years of following around the sometimes too serious and prickly Kate Beckett, the duo decided to dive in and test out the relationship waters.

"I would be there for him and he would be there for me and we could just dive in together." He remembered Kate telling him last year when they were locked up together after they believed they had been exposed to radiation.

And dive in they did. For when that wall Kate had placed around her heart began to crack it quickly tumbled down around her. Kate had told him once that the "wall" couldn't come down until after she solved her mother's case. Although Johanna Beckett's murder case still remained unresolved, the feelings between the mystery writer and the detective had definitely been resolved.

It happened a couple of weeks after Castle and his mother Martha had been held hostage in the bank where Martha was seeking a loan for her acting school. Castle had seen subtle changes with Beckett, she smiled more, joked more and he enjoyed seeing her open up. She broke wide open after the bank ordeal, and he was shocked the first time she stroked his shoulder, in the precinct, and even took his hand once or twice.

One Saturday evening, when Alexis and Martha were out, Castle had settled in his office to write. It didn't go unnoticed that he was sitting home alone on a weekend night, and his mother's words kept bouncing around his head, about how he had become a shut-in.

A knock on the door halted his attempt to complete the scene between Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook as they were headed to the bedroom. Castle admitted to himself whenever he wrote the scenes between Nikki and Rook, he sometimes imagined himself with Beckett. How could he not?

He shuffled to the door and opened it, shocked to see Kate Beckett on the other side. She was dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked relaxed, casual and flat-out hot as hell.

"Hey, Castle, can I come in?" Kate Beckett asked with a hint of hesitance.

No need to hesitate when you are looking like that in my doorway, Castle thought.

He opened the door wider and held out his arm, allowing her access to his loft. And my bed, the thought popped in his head. Easy Castle, his internal monologue warned.

"What's up," Castle asked. He shut the door behind him and watched Kate walk over to the living room area. "Please," he offered up, gesturing toward the couch.

Kate sat down at the edge, near the arm of the couch. Castle settled down on the other side.

"I have been thinking a lot about what happened at the bank," Beckett began. She brushed her long brown wavy locks from her face. She then laced her fingers together laying them on her lap. "About what I would have done if something happened to you?"

"Like I told Alexis, there is no need to dwell on that," Castle offered up.

"But I can't stop myself," Beckett said back to him. She scooted across the couch and placed her hand on his knee. "And I have come to a conclusion."

"And that is," Castle all but croaked out as her hand slid up to his thigh.

"Walls be damned," Kate Beckett said in barely a whisper as she leaned in and kissed him. And it wasn't just a kiss, it was a branding. A searing of the soul, pent up frustration, I am tired of waiting kiss.

And the kiss was just the prelude to what happened next. There was discarded clothing, mussed hair and rumpled sheets. The aftermath wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, the morning was full of smiles, laughter and why hadn't we done this sooner.

It wasn't all sexual bliss and roses. This was Kate Beckett and Richard Castle after all. After the wall was down there were heated arguments over a case, over where to eat, when to tell their friends they were dating and what to tell Alexis and Martha.

The biggest blow-up came when Kate and Rick appeared in the page six gossip column, stating that Rick Castle had finally bagged his muse. Beckett was fuming, Castle was secretly beaming and the whole precinct walked on egg shells for two days.

It finally blew over, as these things do, and it was back to lingering looks, coffee breaks and dinners at home for Castle and Beckett.

Now came the hard part. Burning a hole in his trousers was a black box from Tiffany's. The single solitaire diamond was simple and tasteful. Yet another opposite day move from Castle. When he proposed to his first two ex-wives, the rings were flashy and loud and weighed heavy in his pocket.

This ring weighed heavy for another reason. Because for once in his life, Rick Castle was unsure; unsure about what Kate Beckett would say and unsure of where to ask her.

He had told Kevin Ryan once that a proposal should be big and flashy. After all, that was what he had done for his other proposals. But a proposal in a hot air balloon, or a trip in a yacht around the New York harbor, or even on the beach at his estate in the Hamptons wouldn't feel right for Kate Beckett.

It finally hit him when he climbed in the car with Beckett as they were leaving a crime scene. The late afternoon sun was beaming through the car window and the stench of the city streets were wafting through the car. This would be a huge warning bell to most people, don't ask her here. But for Richard Castle, he knew there was no other place.

Richard Castle had met Detective Kate Beckett during a murder investigation and it seemed only fitting they get engaged during one.

"Hey Kate," Castle began.

"Listen Castle, we are not stopping for doughnuts on the way back to the precinct," Beckett said as she jammed the key in the ignition. "I told you we are cooking at home tonight and I want you to eat it."

Wow, Castle thought; that sounded very domestic of Beckett. It was a sign.

"Um, I wasn't going to ask that," Castle said. He reached in his pocket and grasped the ring box. "I do, however, have another question." He pulled the box out of his pocket and popped it open.

"Kate Beckett, I think I have loved you since the first moment I saw you," Castle began. "You are my partner, my best friend and my equal in every way. I love you. Will you marry me?"

Beckett's mouth formed a perfect "O" as she stared at him. She couldn't believe Richard Castle was asking her to marry him at a murder scene. The man was crazy, childish, impetuous and infuriating. He was also the man she loved more then she could ever imagine.

"Really, Castle, you ask me to marry you at a crime scene?" Beckett shook her head.

Castle swallowed hard, waiting for her to say no. She was pissed. She was going to say no.

"What took you so long," Kate Beckett asked. She leaned in and kissed him soundly. As she broke from his embrace she leaned in to his ear and whispered, "That is a yes, by the way."

Castle took the ring from the box, slipped it on her left hand ring finger and captured her for another heat-filled kiss.

Opposite day wins again, Castle thought as he kissed her again.


	2. Chapter 2

Richard Castle's first wedding was a heated affair, born out of carnal desire, too much alcohol and a wedding chapel in Vegas. Meredith had a free weekend during the movie she was filming and Castle's half-joking suggestion that they just pull the trigger, and get married, turned from a kernel of an idea to a full-blown marriage. The honeymoon was two days locked in a luxury suite in Vegas and not much else.

Blown was a good word for Castle's marriage with Meredith. It had blown up right before their eyes. Too youthful, too immature and both very head-strong, the marriage was over practically before it began. The sex was great, that was no question, but there was very little else.

For years to come, Castle would admit he believed it was still fate that he married Meredith, because he got Alexis out of the bargain. He considered that the best gamble of all.

A few years later, his marriage to Gina was a bit more sedate. Almost more like a business merger, they both decided they liked each other, were compatible and it just seemed like a good idea. Castle admitted to himself, later, that Gina probably just married him to keep an eye on him and his writing; she was his publisher after all.

The wedding with Gina was with a justice of the peace in some small town in between his book tour. The honeymoon was in various stops during his tour, and when they returned home, they both settled into almost the same routine they had before they were married.

A few months and a few arguments later, Castle and Gina came to the conclusion they were better off as colleagues then husband and wife. The marriage ended just as civil, almost, as it began.

The marriage of Richard Castle and Katherine Beckett was going to be different. Castle was going to make sure of it. Kate had told him once she was a one and done kind of girl, meaning when she married it was for the long haul. Castle may have been married twice before but he was sure he was also one and done, when it was the right girl – and he had found her.

A groom-to-be is usually relegated to the sidelines when it came to wedding planning. After all, wasn't it every little girl's dream to plan her wedding to her very own prince charming? Castle accepted that role, shaking his head yes at the appropriate time, and keeping his mouth closed when he should.

The plans were coming together nicely for the wedding. Kate had picked out her dress, the brides maids dresses were selected, and he had overheard Martha and Kate talking about the caterer. The only thing that hadn't been chose was the venue.

Castle was getting concerned. What good was a wedding if there was nowhere to have it? He had to do something.

Walking out of his office, Richard Castle was surprised to see Kate channel surfing on the television instead of pouring over some bride book.

"What are you doing?" Richard Castle asked lightly.

"I have been thinking," Kate said as she turned off the TV with the remote. She turned to look at Castle as he sat beside her on the couch.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" Castle offered her a sly grin.

"Good." She slapped him on the shoulder.

"Okay, you have been thinking…" he let the last word linger off his lips.

"Do you remember two years ago when you asked me to spend Memorial Day with you in the Hamptons?" Kate cocked her head.

Sure, bring that up. Castle grumbled to himself. I remember you turning me down because you had made plans to go away with Demming. Then he had made that ill-conceived move to try and get back together with his ex-wife Gina. Castle hadn't known Kate had broken up with Demming and when he returned from the Hampton. After the summer, she had hooked up with Dr. Motorcycle Boy.

"I remember," is all Castle squeezed out.

"I know what you are thinking," Kate said with a smile. "I see it running around in that writer head of yours." She leaned in and nuzzled her nose to his.

"I won't lie, I have thought what would have happened if I hadn't gotten back together with Gina," Castle said. "Maybe we could have started something. But I am glad we didn't."

"Really?" Kate sat back from him. She wore a look of almost hurt and shock.

"I wasn't ready for you Kate Beckett," Castle admitted. He grasped her left hand and fingered the engagement ring he had given her a few months ago. "I was still kind of thinking of you as a conquest and not the love of my life. No, it happened this way so now that I can appreciate you the way a man should."

"You and your words, Castle." Kate leaned in and kissed him soundly.

"So, back to what you were thinking." Castle prompted her.

"I want to get married at your Hamptons' house on the beach," Kate beamed at him. "I know it is so cliché and so traditional, but I think it is a perfect place. We can stay there for the honeymoon afterwards."

"But.." he began.

"I know you want to take me to Paris, or somewhere exotic, but I just want you and me and a week of nothing to do but lounge around and spend time at the beach." She nudged him with her shoulder. "So, what do you think?"

"I think it is the opposite of anything I would ever plan for my wedding," Castle said. He pulled her in close and placed Kate's head on his shoulder. "Which means I think it's perfect."


	3. Chapter 3

The wedding day of Richard Castle and Katherine Beckett dawned bright and sunny. No one expected it to be any less.

After all the couple had been through to find their way to each other, it would seem a cruel turn of fate for their wedding day to be anything but perfection. There wasn't a hurried trip to Las Vegas or scrambling for a justice of the peace for Richard Castle and Kate Beckett. Nor were there frantic last minute second thoughts by the bride or groom, both knew the other was meant for each other and they were ready.

The wedding was fully stocked with a best man, well best men since it was both Esposito and Ryan, brides-maids and a preacher. All members of the wedding party gathered on the beach, with friends and family behind them in white chairs awaiting the bride. Richard Castle stood in his grey morning suit and looked to his left when he heard the strains of the wedding march.

Kate Beckett appeared in a slim-fitting white wedding gown, her arm looped around her father Jim Beckett's as they made their way toward Rick.

In a rare intimate conversation with Jim Beckett, he told Castle about how he had met Kate's beloved mother, Johanna. How they had known each other for over three years before Jim asked her out, and he lamented those years he wasted not being with her, after she was murdered.

Castle pledged secretly to himself and to Kate that he would never waste another minute with her. He would cherish ever second he had with her. After she was shot by the sniper's rifle, Castle watched her die in the ambulance and he believed, for just the briefest of moments that his future had slipped from his hands.

Kate Beckett was his present, she was his future. She was walks in the fall in Central Park, winter nights curled up by the fire, Christmas morning with their family surrounded around them and she was the future mother of the two more children he longed to have with her.

But at the moment, she was his beautiful bride, walking toward him with a glorious smile spreading over her face. She was happiness and she was promise and she was all his.

The vows went off without incident. And when the preacher announced that Castle may kiss his bride, he collected her in his arms and captured her lips passionately. When they were announced husband and wife, there was more than one wedding guest who exclaimed "finally."

The guests and wedding party made their way back to the beach house set a few feet from where the wedding took place. A dance floor had been set up on the patio and a band was already playing as Rick and Kate made their way to their seats at the table designated for them.

They were about to sit down when the leader of the band announced it was time for the bride and groom's first dance. Castle offered his hand and Kate took it, as he led her out on the dance floor.

Music filled the air as Castle led her in their first dance as husband and wife.

"Well, Mrs. Castle, are you happy," Castle whispered in her ear.

"Very," Kate replied. "I will be happier when I can get out of this dress." Kate added.

"So will I," Rick said cocking his eyebrow up.

"You would," Kate said to him as she lay her head on his chest as he guided her through the dance.

"I almost forgot," she said as she lifted her head. "You never asked me about my bride tradition."

"What is that?" Castle nuzzled her cheek.

"You know, the something old, something new thing."

"Oh, yeah," Castle's eyes lit up. "So, what did you come up with?"

"Something old is my mother's ring." She lifted up her right hand to show Castle her mother's ring on her right ring finger. Kate usually wore the ring on a necklace but it just wouldn't go with her wedding dress on this day.

"Something borrowed is Martha's diamond and sapphire earrings," Kate touched to the jewelry in her ears. "Something blue is the garter Alexis gave me." Kate touched her thigh where the garter rested under her dress.

"Alexis gave it to you," Castle asked concerned.

"Don't worry, Lanie helped her pick it out."

"Okay, good." Castle breathed a sigh as he twirled Kate around to the music.

"Wait, isn't there one more?" Castle scrunched up his brow. "Something new, that is right. What was something new?"

Kate dipped her head and blushed.

"Let me guess, you have some killer lingerie on under there and I get to test it out later?" Castle gave her his best devilish grin.

"Not even close," Kate told him.

"So what is it?"

"This," Kate told him. She took his hand and placed his palm on her abdomen. "The new is inside me. It's our baby. I'm pregnant, Castle."

"What?" Castle stepped away from her a bit, his hand still on her tummy. "We're pregnant?"

Kate shook her head yes.

It was as if they didn't even realize the wedding guests around him. Castle just leaned into and kissed her softly.

"By the way, I know about your opposite day, don't think I didn't know." She smiled and Castle feigned ignorance. "I know your plot to woo me," she said putting the word woo in quotes. "was to treat our relationship different than the others."

"You got me," Castle said as he led Kate off the dance floor. The wedding guests clapped and it was then Kate realized the song had ended.

Castle led her to a small alcove at the entrance of the house. "I wanted us to be special, to be forever."

"It is," Kate said. She kissed the edge of his lips on the right side and then his cheek. "And I love you for it, Castle. You are my one and done."

"I better be," Castle informed her and kissed her temple.

Castle then stepped back, shock washing over his face. "Oh my god, I just realized something."

Kate smiled and waited for him to continue.

"We're gonna' have a baby."

Kate shook her head in acknowledgement again.

"Another opposite day for us," Kate said giggling. "Baby before marriage." And then she kissed him.


End file.
